The Bubbleator Lives Again

8/3/26 17th NW & NW Market, Ballard neighborhood

Although I probably did ride it, I don’t remember the Bubbleator when it debuted at Seattle’s Century 21 World’s Fair in 1962. I wasn’t quite four then, so I don’t recall anything about the fair (though my sibs have told me I was cranky through most of it). What I do fondly remember is riding the Bubblelator regularly years later, as the transparent acrylic sphere continued to carry Food Circus (later called the Center House) visitors up and down between two floors for nearly 20 years.

Apparently the original Bubbleator is somewhere in Des Moines. An exact replica, however, now stands on the roof of Ballard Realty. Realtor and building owner Ray Poletti built it himself at a cost of $200,000 (conservative estimate, he says). He used the original as a model.

I can’t decide which is more astonishing: That he was able to replicate it so precisely or that he wanted to in the first place. (Read the Seattle Times article linked above for more details; it also talks about other odd Seattle memorabilia.) In any case, how could I resist sketching it?

Standing at the busy, very noisy intersection in downtown Ballard, I imagined the one important detail missing from that exact replica: A young woman dressed in a Jetsons-style outfit who operated the Bubbleator (the article says Poletti bought one of those original outfits at a consignment shop and is working on replicating it). And by “operated,” I mean she opened and closed the doors, distributed crowds inside the bubble, and pushed buttons to make it go up or down. As a preteen, I thought it was a pretty cool job for a young woman.

Blue Angel Watchers

 

8/2/26 Maple Leaf Park

I enjoy going to Maple Leaf Park for the Blue Angels’ annual Seafair show, but not to watch the planes. Greg and I always enjoyed doing it together: He went for the planes while I went to sketch the viewers.

Things we used to do together still bring me joy, but now they’re laced with sadness. That seems to be my definition of grief.

My snack while I waited for the watchers.

Sharing My Sketch Journal Process

 

An enthusiastic, open-minded group of students!

While the pet portrait workshops I taught last spring were more about developing drawing skills and learning brush pen or colored pencil techniques, the one I taught on Saturday was about a process that’s near and dear to my heart: Keeping a daily sketch journal.

Regular blog readers know that it’s a process I’ve been developing for myself for many years, but it’s only been the last three years that my practice finally  “stuck.” Eager to share that process in person, I was rewarded by enthusiastic, open-minded students who were willing to try things that may have been outside their comfort zone. Some were sheer beginners, and many had not sketched on location before.

8/1/26 Here's my own sketch journal page from our first exercise, which turned out to be a spontaneous demo when a student asked how I sketch people.

We started the workshop at the ArtSpot store (the workshop’s sponsor), where I passed around several of my own sketch journals and talked about my many failed tries – and the one successful one. After explaining my plan for the morning and discussing recommended art supplies (of course), we headed out for the first sketch location. Our first stop, though, was to get a beverage or (you guessed it) a pastry to start our sketching out right!

Lacking a café where 14 people (including myself and one class assistant) could sit together, I chose a location I was familiar with from the sketch walk I had led during Sketcher Fest. Using the plentiful benches of the Veterans’ Plaza, we stayed together to try the process I had described: Sketch our food or beverage first as an easy “entry” to the page spread, then sketch whatever grabbed our attention around us.

Students hard at work at Edmonds' Veterans' Plaza.

I was happy to observe relaxed conversations among students. This plaza is better than any classroom... plenty of benches for all.

After giving individual feedback, I knew they were ready for the next step. This time we all scattered out to the Edmonds Summer Market, which was in full swing by then. Their assignment was to make a series of sketches with written comments that would tell a story in answer to the question: What did you experience at the market? I encouraged everyone to observe with all their senses, not just sight. The market is full of sounds, scents and weather to feel!

After we all scattered through the market, I lost sight of most students, so I didn't get more photos. But I caught these two sketching from one of my own favorite spots at this market: It's a great view from behind a flower vendor's booth. 

About an hour later, we regrouped at Veterans’ Plaza to share our sketches and takeaways from the process. It was gratifying and rewarding to hear that students had been encouraged and excited by their first try at a daily sketch journaling practice.

Check out our colorful throwdown! ArtSpot carries Uglybooks. It's possible I may be an "influencer." Ha-ha!!

Here's my own answer to the question: "What did you experience at the market?"

Photo courtesy of ArtSpot

Photo courtesy of ArtSpot

Sammamish River Trail

 

7/31/26 Freeways criss-cross over the Sammamish River in Bothell.

Ten miles of paved trail for bicyclists, runners and walkers, the Sammamish River Trail goes all the way from Marymoor to Bothell. Although I’d sketched the Sammamish from Bothell Landing a few times, Brackett’s Landing a mile or so east was new to me. That was the meetup point with Allan, Roy, Dave and Gabi on a beautiful morning.

Thumbnail for sketch above

When I was invited, I had been promised freeway overpasses – I’m in! When I arrived, though, all I saw was the green, serene river with a few ducks floating by. Huh?

It turned out that was just the parking location. Walking 10 minutes or so on the trail brought us to the spot that Dave called the “spaghetti monster” of vertical and horizontal concrete made further chaotic by new construction. Although I had brought along earplugs, I was surprised that I didn’t need them. Best of all, we had plenty of deep shade from the overpasses to choose whatever composition we wanted.

Daunted by what I saw in every direction, I made a thumbnail of the vertical view I chose to see if everything would fit. Liking the composition, I moved on to the larger color version (top of post).

After tackling the concrete jungle, we all agreed that the serene piece of river where we parked would be a welcome relief. My challenge was to distinguish the water reflections from the trees and foliage all around (below). I joked that I was channeling Monet during his cataract phase.

Whether natural or humanmade, the sights from the Sammamish River Trail are a sketcher’s paradise, especially when it’s cloudless and 74 degrees. Ahhh, summer in Seattle!

A 10-minute walk from the Spaghetti Monster is this stretch of serenity.

A 180-degree turn from the scene I sketched are more more tangles of spaghetti waiting to be connected.

Tina, Allan, Gabi, Roy and Dave take on the Spaghetti Monster!

Seeing But Not Sketching the Whole

 

7/30/26 Roosevelt and U-District neighborhoods

Walking to an errand in the University District via the Roosevelt neighborhood, I spotted a crane at a construction site of the new “Roosevelt Manor” (ostentatiously declaring its establishment in 2027 [eyeroll emoji here]). Attracted as I am to cranes, I usually like to sketch their entire inverted-L shape. This time I thought I’d zoom in on two small features I usually don’t observe closely: The tiny elevator that carries crew members up and down, and the small pulley and chain assembly that hooks onto things it hauls. Without context, they seemed more intriguing than they usually do.

Amused, I decided to fill the rest of the page with two more things that were entirely visible to me but deliberately drawing only some parts. Not drawing the pointed top of Blessed Sacrament’s steeple took willpower – that’s the part of all steeples I enjoy drawing the most!

Despite that, I had great fun challenging myself to avoid drawing the whole of what I see. It’s not easy! My brain always wants to complete the picture.

Process note: This type of walk-sketching – having no clue what I will draw until I see it – is still one of my all-time favorite forms of sketching on location. A mile and a half feels like nothing when I’m continually looking for the next sketch. How fortunate I am to be so easily entertained!

Discovery Park Vista

 

7/28/26 Puget Sound from Discovery Park

The closest I have ever seen a Cooper's hawk!

Seattle’s largest park and full-on forest in the middle of the city, Discovery Park is an urban gem of hiking trails, open meadows, cliffs and streams. After my unguided wandering of the park a few weeks ago, I invited Nilda to go with me last Tuesday. Much more familiar with the park than I am, she led me to a vista of Puget Sound at the western bluff. Though breezy and partly cloudy, the afternoon was a lovely time to walk, talk and sketch.

Bonus: We spotted a Cooper’s hawk (ID’d by the Merlin app by its call)! The park is a favorite among birders.

Once More at Thornton Creek

 

7/27/26 Thornton Creek, Northgate

I seem to have taken it on as a personal summer mission to introduce my sketching friends to Thornton Creek! It’s such a serene yet fully accessible gem in the middle of otherwise bustling Northgate. This time I met Mary Jean and Roy there on a sunny but breezy morning.

As much as I was cowed by all the foliage at Kruckeberg Garden last week, Thornton Creek is somehow friendlier to me. There’s plenty of multi-layered textures and subtle color differences to be endlessly challenging, yet there are also enough solid shapes to help guide the compositions. It also has a lot more light. This time I looked straight down into the winding creek at the center of the park (above).

With the few minutes before our meetup, I sketched a favorite Japanese maple tree (at left) that I’ve captured at least once before.